Wrist & hand decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's right and left wrist carpal tunnel syndromes are rated at 30% and 20%, respectively, effective December 18, 2007. The rating was increased to 30% for the right wrist on April 22, 2011.

The Veteran does not have a left wrist or left shoulder disability that is the result of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed left wrist disability, vagus nerve disability, and blackouts.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current right wrist disability, to include right wrist strain. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea will also be remanded for issuance of an SOC.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right wrist disability and tender dorsal scar of the right wrist were denied as there was no evidence to support ratings in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during his periods of active duty service, including his periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA in the Air Force Reserve from 1977 to 1993. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain outstanding VA treatment records and to schedule him for additional examinations. The claims will be readjudicated based on the evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected knee, cervical spine, and foot disabilities. The RO granted service connection for these conditions in April 2001 but did not assign any effective date as of that time.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability is currently rated at 40 percent effective October 14, 2010. His right wrist disability remains at a 10 percent rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current knee and hand disabilities did not begin during or were otherwise caused by his military service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disorders is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a TDIU as there was no showing of inability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities alone.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a Board hearing at the local RO in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right wrist disability, skin disability, and chronic headaches. The evidence submitted since the previous denial was found to be cumulative or redundant and did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, leaving no issues for the Board to review.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities and determine the likely etiology of any hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA outpatient clinic records. He will also be scheduled for a VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and left upper extremity disability.

The Veteran's left wrist disorder is not shown to be a result of VA care, and the Board finds that his condition was not caused by fault or negligence on VA's part. The Board also found that the development of arthritis following surgery was reasonably foreseeable.

The Board has found that additional development is needed to obtain outstanding private treatment records from the Veteran's identified physicians. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.